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Buying or selling a house can be one of the most stressful events of our lives—some surveys have even ranked the stress involved in house sales up there with bereavement, divorce or the loss of a job.

An in-depth pre-purchase house inspection from Pro Property Reports can reduce that stress and make the whole buying/selling process smoother and easier.

Whether they are buying or selling many people have the attitude that what you don’t know can’t hurt you and they try and cover up issues, pretend they don’t exist or just ignore them.

Unfortunately, those hidden faulty aspects of a building; leaking cladding, substandard plumbing, wiring or other structural faults or issues of non-compliance can come back to bite you big time.

That’s why you need a pre-purchase property report.

Why is a building inspection necessary?

Buying or selling a house is one of the biggest investments that most of us will make in our lifetime. But a bad decision can be disastrous with devastating results for your financial situation and even your health.

You could think of a house inspection as a form of insurance—a detailed house inspection can:

​Identify issues or areas of concern in the structural integrity of the home

Help you negotiate a better purchase price and save you money

Give you real peace of mind.

Although the building industry in Australia is well regulated there are some unscrupulous cowboys (and girls) out there who have used cheap, non-compliant materials or not followed the building code during the construction process.

Sometimes it’s simply a case of a home DIYer trying to do it on the cheap but whatever the case you need to know about it.

are you buying a home or a pile of ....?

If you don’t obtain a pre-purchase building report it could cost you money, stress, your health or even your life.

Termites can spell disaster for the unwary house buyer. Termite damage is usually invisible until it is too late. The Pro Property termite inspection will quickly identify areas of infestation or damage from earlier termite issues.

There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of sub-standard materials being imported (particularly from China) including, wiring, plumbing, cladding, and even window products.

These sub-standard products have caused some spectacular building fails including a fire that engulfed 15 stories of a Melbourne high-rise recently.

And did you know that more than 40,000 Australian homes built between 2010 and 2013 used substandard electrical cabling that may cause electrocution or a fire?

Your new home may be harbouring some dirty secrets that could cost the health of your family and yourself.

For example, mould resulting from water damage and leaks is a prime cause of asthma and other serious breathing conditions.

Why take the risk when for a small cost you can get a property report that will provide any house that you’re thinking of buying with a clean bill of health or identify many of those potentially costly or harmful issues in the building?

What are the benefits of a pre-purchase inspection?

​There are other advantages of a pre-purchase inspection beyond avoiding a termite infested, sub-standard fire hazard.

Yes, we all know the real estate hype; ‘indoor/outdoor flow’ means the termites have eaten through the walls, a ‘breath-taking ambiance’ means you’ll get an electric shock from the light switch, while ‘natural water features’ indicates the basement floods in winter.

But in many cases the report might simply highlight less serious issues that can help you negotiate a better price.

It might be that the exterior paint needs some attention or that the roof might need replacing in the near future or perhaps a retaining wall is showing signs of its age.

And none of these less serious issues should necessarily prevent you buying the house you have set your heart on but it allows you to factor the cost of repairs into your final offer.

My home is brand new—do I need a building report?

My house is brand new; surely it doesn’t need a report?

Think again, you definitely need a report prepared by a professional inspector before you take possession of the house.

Construction teams are often under intense pressure to finish each job and will sometimes cut corners.

A handover report is your peace of mind that all the necessary consents have been filed and adhered to.

We will also identify any areas of sub-standard work or defects that need to be remedied.

What if I’m selling my house?

If you are selling your home it’s really important to get a property inspection prior to listing your property on the market.

A pre-sale property inspection report allows you to:

﻿Establish ﻿an accurate property value

Identify issues that may be cheap to fix but could impact seriously on potential price offers

Negotiate a fair price should a purchaser identify issues that they have concerns about

What’s included in an inspection?

We have many years experience in the building industry and use the latest thermal imaging cameras to give you real peace of mind before you buy.

A Pro Property inspection is extremely thorough and will include:

﻿Interior and exterior of the building examining the cladding for faults or signs of underlying issues

Roof space and the roof exterior (dependent on Health and Safety considerations)